Wild, Wild West

          Buffalo Bill's Lost Legacy. Everyone has heard of Buffalo Bill. Or at least the football team. But, how many people could actually tell you who he was? This article by Nancy Peterson demonstrates deep insight into the life of William F. Cody. Peterson explains Cody's quest in creating a film that demonstrates battles between the United States Army and the Indians and its lasting legacy.
           Buffalo Bill was a white, middle-class man, who Peterson describes as being, "arguably the best-known, most-pictured man in the world." He is most famous for his killing of Yellowhair, and leading rich people on buffalo hunts. As Peterson describes Cody, she does so in a way that reflects him as being a generous, kind-hearted man. In July 1913, Cody thought about all of the members in his cast, how they were left with no food, water, or shelter. It, "Broke [his] heart" that his cast was being treated like this. As a result, a $500 donation was made, along with a public auction to raise money. According to Peterson, even though Cody did not have much money himself, borrowing $20,000 from Denver Post co-publisher Harry H. Tammen, he still aimed to help his cast and neighbors.
          Nancy Peterson also glorified Buffalo Bill by explaining his other accomplishments. Many people depended on him, in fact, he employed 4,000 and another 400+ in his show. Some of his workers were involved in irrigation projects, working mines and staffing papers. But, Cody's most glorified moments came from his Wild West shows:

This is a picture of Buffalo Bill Cody reenacting his victory over Cheyenne Chief at Warbonnet Creek.

          It is interesting to note that in Wild West shows, Indians were allowed to participate, even though they were not being portrayed as "human". However, Indians actually enjoyed participating. Since their reservation land was not good, it gave them an opportunity to get away from it for awhile. They could also practice their culture, while performing, even though it would be illegal to do so outside of the show.
          Peterson suggests that in Cody's quest for realism in his shows, he may have gone too far. His shows may have become to intense and too real for the audience at the time. She suggests that the calvary was portrayed to much as a killing machine. But, however, audiences enjoyed watching the shows, since "comedy is injected into an otherwise very serious affair."Just has you and I enjoy going to the movies, people enjoyed seeing Wild West shows, and still do today!
          Overall, I think Nancy Peterson glorified Cody very well, just as she intended. She truly believes in his accomplishments and the legacy he has made. She made all of the now called horrible things we did to the Indians seem like something that needed to be done during the time, and that the Wild West shows portrayed just that. The very end, in 1890, the Battle of Wounded Knee, was the Indian's last armed stance, where they were outnumbered by the United States army, and were defeated.
          Here is a link to a wild west show I found on youtube. Wish I could have made it to the real one in Sinclairesville!
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcnkv6ZVBCo


Link to this article: http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=22&sid=29c3cdb2-44db-488e-a546-8aaafc0bed6f%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ahl&AN=10473087